Tributes poured in Monday as friends, fans and Hollywood contemporaries fondly remembered Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall following his death on Sunday.
Duvall’s wife Luciana Duvall announced his death on his official Facebook page, stating the actor and filmmaker “passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort.”
“It was an honor to have worked with Robert Duvall,” Al Pacino, who starred in “The Godfather” and “The Godfather Part II” with Duvall, said in a statement. “He was a born actor as they say, his connection with it, his understanding and his phenomenal gift will always be remembered. I will miss him.”
“God bless Bobby. I hope I can live till I’m 95. May he Rest in Peace,” said Robert De Niro, who starred with Duvall in “True Confessions” and also appeared in the first “Godfather” sequel.
Adam Sandler, who starred in “Hustle” with Duvall, wrote on Instagram: “Funny as hell. Strong as hell.”
“One of the greatest actors we ever had,” Sandler continued. “Such a great man to talk to and laugh with. Loved him so much. We all did. So many movies to choose from that were legendary. Watch them when you can. Sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences.”
Michael Keaton, who appeared with Duvall in Ron Howard’s 1994 film “The Paper,” also posted on Instagram, writing “another friend goes down. acted with and became friends. shared a great afternoon on my front porch talking about horses. he was greatness personified as an actor. RIP RD.”
Marisa Tomei, who also starred in “The Paper,” called Duvall “the reason” she became an actor.
“I was touched to my core by him… the greatest. A titan. Rest in peace,” Tomei wrote.
“I had the honor of working alongside you in ‘Widows,’” Oscar-winner Viola Davis wrote on Instagram before naming some of her favorite Duvall roles.
“I’ve always been in awe of your towering portrayals of men who were both quiet and dominating in their humanness,” Davis wrote. “You were a giant… an icon… ‘Apocalypse Now,’ ‘The Godfather,’ ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ ‘Tender Mercies,’ The Apostle, ‘Lonesome Dove’… etc… Greatness never dies. It stays… as a gift. Rest well, sir. Your name will be spoken… May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
“I love the smell of napalm in the morning!” author Stephen King posted on social media, referencing Duvall’s famous line from “Apocalypse Now.”
“RIP Robert Duvall.”
Walton Goggins, who had one of his earliest roles in Duvall’s “The Apostle” — which the legendary actor wrote, directed and starred in — recalled how generous Duvall was with his young co-star.
“The privilege of getting to work with this man, to know this man is still the most important experience of my life,” Goggins wrote.
“He was my North Star, my hero,” he added. “He knew it. He gave me permission, afforded me the privilege of never having to leave his side while we were working… we maintained a deep friendship for years after. He didn’t have to do that. But he did. He had that effect on a lot of people… but this was my story. I love you Bobby. Thank you for changing my life.”
Scott Cooper, who directed Duvall in “Crazy Heart” and his final film “The Pale Blue Heart,” called Duvall a “mentor.”
“He produced and acted in my first film, ‘Crazy Heart,’ and from that moment forward, read nearly every screenplay I wrote, offering his quiet wisdom and unwavering belief in me,” Cooper said in a statement to Variety. “He was my fiercest supporter — not with grand gestures, but with honesty, rigor, and love for the work itself. His legacy as one of the true giants of acting is secure, but what I will carry with me most is his generosity, his humility, and the example he set of a life devoted entirely to truth. I would not be the filmmaker — or the man — I am without him.”
Actor Cary Elwes, who co-starred in the auto racing flick with Duvall, wrote on Instagram: “When I got to work with him on ‘Days of Thunder’ in 1990 he turned out to be as fabulous a human being as I could have hoped.”
“I have wonderful memories of numerous barbecues he threw for the cast & crew at the ranch he was staying at.,” Elwes wrote. “And the wonderful, touching moment when he asked me to film him and his wife Luciana dancing the tango. My heart goes out to Luciana and his extended family, friends and fans of which I will always be one. Farewell, Bob. Rest in absolute power…”
